Piston packing-ring.



Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

W. M. LEIGHTON.

PISTON PACKING RING.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JULY BE, 1809.

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and more especially to UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. LEIGHTON, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

PISTON PACKING-RING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

Application filed July 28, 1909. Serial No. 510,147.

To all whom it may co'lwem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. LEIGH TON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Clinton, in the county of De Witt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in P1ston Packing-Rings, of which the followmg is aspecification.

This invention relates to steam engines,

ackin for the pistons thereof, and the object 0 the same is to roduce an improved piston packing ring which will permit proper lubrication for the full length of the stroke and overcome a too great contact between the ring and cylinder at times when the steam pressure is at its highest.

To this end the invention consists in a piston packing ring having an annular groove in its outer edge, holes extending from the bottom of said groove straight radially inward to its inner face, and other holes extending from said groove axially through one of the side walls of the ring.

The following specification sets forth the preferred embodiment of my idea, as illustrated in the drawings wherein- Figure l is a sectional view of a cylinder and ston with two of these rings in place; and 1 2 1s a perspective view of one ring.

In. t e drawing? the letter C designates the cyl1nder, R t e rod, and P the piston, wh1ch latter reciprocates within the cylinder under the admission of live steam at alternatelyppposite ends as usual, although the nvention is applicable to engines employmg steam or gas or other fluid where the working pressure may be exerted at one side of the piston only.

The letter Q, designates m ring as a whole, in a groove G surrounding the piston. By preference said groove is of rectangular and about square cross section, and the contour of the ring is sufiicient to fill it rather loosely, as usual in devices of this character. The ring is split as at S at one side as shown in Fig. 2, or otherwise rendered resilient in any suitable manner forming no part of the present invention.

The improvements contemplated by me are the provision in the outer edge of the ring of an annular groove A, preferably proportioned about as shown with respect to the size of the ring itself, the cutting through the remaining inner portion of the improved the same fitting oosely withring from the bottom of this roove to its inner face of holes H exten mg radially inward, and the cutting through of one of the side portions of this rin of other holes X at right angles to those lettered H and leading from the groove A to one of the side faces'of the ring. This construction is well illustrated in the'drawings attached.

The advantages claimed for the present invention are as follows: In piston rings now in use, when the fluid agent is fed into the cylinder and passes between the same and the outer edge of the piston the ring is forced radially inward against the resiliency which it possesses, and what lubricant there may be present is driven past the point of contact between the ring and cylinder by the force of the agent when under its highest pressure. By my invention the fluid agent following the course just outlined passes into the groove A, through the holes H, and into the groove G within the piston head, where it exerts pressure tending to force the ring outward into closer contact with the cylinder'so that the lubricant within the annular groove A of the ring is carried by it for the full length of the stroke. Hence I consider it of advantage to provide a piston packing ring with an annu ar groove in its wear face, especially when combined with holes extending radially inward from said groove to the rear-or inner face of the ring. Furthermore, the fluid agent traveling in the course outlined after passing into the groove A flows to some extent through the axial holes X and into that side of the groove G in the iston head which is behind the ring in the irection in which the piston is traveling. This resses the ring forward in the direction 0 travel instead of allowing it to slip backward as its contact with the cylinder would naturally cause it to do, and the result is the provision of a cushion behind the ring in its direction of movement. The use of both sets of holes with a single ring will therefore produce a cushion of the fluid agent along two sides of the ring-radially inward between it and the head and also axially behind it between it and the headand the tendency of this cushion is to force the ring radially outward against the cylinder and axially forward in the direction of movement.

In the use of piston packing rings of this character with engines employing steam or other agent where the pressure occurs alternately at opposite sides of the head, at least two of the rings are provided as shown in Fig 1 and those near each end of the head are disposed with their holes X outward as illustrated. Between these two extreme rings there could be others, with or without the axial holes as preferred. In the use of this ring in an engine where the power impulse occurs at only one side of the head, the holes X are by preference disosed in a direction toward said pressure. l lowever, the use of the device is a matter of preference, as also are the minor details of its construction.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having an annular groove; of a packing ring d sposed in said groove and provided in its outer ed e with an annular groove and through its body with holes leading from its groove to one of its side faces.

2. The combination with a cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having an annular groove substantially rectangular in cross section; of a packing ring disosed in said groove and fitting it rather oosely, said ring being provided in its outer edge with an annular groove facing toward the cylinder and through its body with holes leading from its groove to one ,of its side faces.

3. The combination with a cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having an annular groove; of a packing ring disposed in said groove and provlded in its outer edge with an annular oove and through that wall which is a jacent the inlet of the fluid agent with axial holes leading from its groove to one of its side faces.

4. The combination with a cylinder, and

a piston reciprocating therein and having an annular groove; of a packing ring disposed therein and itself having an annular groove in its outer edge and provided through that wall which is at the bottom of its groove with a series of holes leading radially from the groove to its inner face.

5. The combination witha cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having two annular grooves; of a packing ring disposed in each of said grooves and itself having an annular groove in its outer edge and provided through that wall which is adjacent the inlet of the fluid agent with axial holes leading from its groove to one of its side faces.

6. The combination with a cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having two annular grooves; of a packin ring disposed in each of said grooves and provided in its outer edge with an annular groove facing toward the c linder, in that wall which is adjacent the inlet of the fluid agent with axial holes leading from said groove outward, and in its inner wall with a series of other holes leading from said groove to its inner face.

7. The combination with a cylinder, and a piston reciprocating therein and having an annular roove; of a packing ring disposed in said groove and provided in its outer edge with an annular groove facing toward the cylinder, in that wall which is adjacent the inlet of the fluid agent with axial holes leading from said groove outward, and in its inner wall with a series of other holes leading from said groove to its inner face.

WILLIAM M. LEIGHTON.

Witnesses:

MARGARET G. FLEMING, F. J. CANTWELL. 

